The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reacted to the diversion of a United Nigeria Airlines flight UN542 to Asaba on Saturday.
The agency said that developments around the flight, scheduled to convey passengers from Lagos to Anambra, are being monitored closely.
The agency made this known in a statement issued Sunday by Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection which was posted on the agency’s official X handle ( formerly Twitter). “Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is aware of the diversion of United Nigeria Airlines flight UN542 Lagos – Anambra to Asaba which occurred on 30th December 2023,” the statement said.
On Saturday evening, some passengers of United Arab Airlines took to the social media platform, X, to lament the diversion of flight to Asaba instead of Anambra as indicated on their tickets.
“The Nigerian Aviation minister @fkeyamo and civil aviation authority (NCAA) should consider the status of United Nigeria Airline @flyunitedng,” Alexander Onukwe, who claimed to be a passenger of the aircraft, tweeted.
“A flight from Lagos to Anambra has now terminated in Asaba at 7:30 pm after a stop in Abuja. How do they keep getting away with this?”
His tweets generated reactions from other concerned Nigerians who called for the intervention of the appropriate authorities. “My sister and her baby were on that flight. A flight scheduled for 10 am for God’s sake. Although, they were checked into a hotel. I just hope arrangements can be made to ensure their safe arrival in Anambra tomorrow. The depth of my disappointment is truly indescribable,” another tweet from an X user, Cy_Nicky, claimed.
“Was at the Asaba airport to pick someone when this happened, seems like they merged both Lagos and Abuja passengers and dumped them in Asaba without considering those who chose Anambra,” said @airboocar in another post
On Sunday, the Nigerian aviation regulatory agency explained that while flight diversions are not uncommon in the air transportation business, the incident involving the United Nigeria aircraft diversion is being investigated. “We have been informed by United Nigeria airline staff that some passengers have been taken to the Hotel, while others chose alternative means of transportation to their destination,” the agency said.
The NCAA also assured the general public of aviation safety, compliance and strict enforcement of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. Saturday’s incident of flight diversion by United Nigeria Airlines is not the second case officially reported within a month by the airline. In November, aircraft belonging to United Nigeria Airlines Limited landed at the Asaba International Airport in Delta State instead of Abuja, causing confusion among air passengers.
Shortly after the incident was reported, the airline in a statement by its spokesperson, Uchegbu Achilleus-Chud, explained that the affected aircraft, NUA 0504, was “temporarily diverted to Asaba due to poor destination weather.”
“A United Nigeria Airlines flight, NUA 0504, operating from the MM@ in Lagos en route Abuja on Sunday, November 26, 2023, was temporarily diverted to the Asaba International Airport due to poor destination weather,” the airline said.
Contrary to the airline claims, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, said the Abuja-bound aircraft that landed in Asaba, Delta State, was not due to bad weather.
Mr Keyamo maintained that there was no bad weather in Abuja on the said day and that what happened was an administrative mistake on the part of the airline.
